Muffin Making and Flour Sensory Fun

Well today was a lazy inside day not sure when the rain would show up(late afternoon), could've gone for a walk. Instead Monster and I made a batch of Muffins for coffee group tomorrow(friday). Helped him measure, pour and mix. They are Double Chocolate Banana muffins They are pretty tasty.
I got the basic muffin recipe from bestrecipes,

What I Did:
2 Cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil
1 cup milk
flavour of choice= 2 banana's, 2 TBSP cocoa powder, and about a quarter block of cooking chocolate cut into chunks and dash of vanilla essence.

Add everything into bowl, Mix until just combined. Bake 180*C approx 20 minutes.

Also let Monster have some fun playing with a little bit of flour and oil. He of course had to have a taste, didn't do that again lol. But he had fun mixing and getting it everywhere.

Chicken

Well this morning was a busy morning had coffee group and then went and saw mum and came back with few books for the monster and a couple of other things.

Was Pinteresting again, when am I not lol. Book marked a few food pins this time and came across one that is called the World's Best Chicken (click the link). It is quiet tasty although I used mild American mustard and chicken drums because that was all I had. But I forgot to add the rosemary when it was cooked. Even Monster enjoyed a piece of my chicken with the sauce on it.
WHAT I USED

4 Chicken Drums(boneless & skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 Crystal Mild American Mustard(Dijon Mustard)
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Rosemary

Preheat oven 180. In a small bowl mix together mustard, syrup and vinegar.
 Place chicken in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over mixture. Make sure that all the chicken is covered. Bake 30 mins or little more till its cooked. Season with rosemary(I forgot).

Its not very often that I'll have everything in the pantry when i come across a recipe that I want to have a go at.

Wet Day Fun & Food--Chocolate

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD with BANANA
Had this for dessert and it was quiet tasty although a bit rich. I think next time I will use less chocolate. Monster enjoyed his even tho he couldn't eat it all. He wasn't even bouncing off the walls after eating this plus some of the choc covered banana.

HOW I DID THIS:
made custard as per instructions on packet, melted choc in a bowl over simmering water on the stove then added that to the custard. Chopped up some banana and put into bowls and then poured over the custard and put some more banana over top. Put in fridge 30 mins or an hour before eating. I did mine earlier in the day still turned out alright.
chocolate-banana-fools
http://henderson-jo.blogspot.co.nz/2008
Used both of these as a guide

 

PLAYDOUGH
Play dough recipe 
This link from previous post that I did. Gives your arm a good work out.
Its a green colour, not quiet the green i was looking for but it will be fine for the monster to play with or eat.

CHOCOLATE COVERED BANANA
Slice banana, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water on the stove or melt it in the microwave. Dip bananas in the choc and sprinkle the 100's and 1000's over the choc and put in the fridge, have to work fast because the banana makes the choc go hard because of it being wet. I had forgotten about that so that's why only some were done. Monster enjoyed them, more so the choc covered then the plain banana.





WET DAY FUN
Today was wet(well still is a little bit). So had some inside fun with the rice again on the lino this time. Monster thought it was a hilarious to put rice all over the cat and scatter it all over the floor, made a few rice angels and was kicking it everywhere. Decided to get busy making things when Monster went down for his nap. In that time i had lunch made choc custard with banana and choc covered bananas with 100's & 1000"s and some play dough. That was all just under 2 hours.

Slower Cooker Lamb Knuckles & Self Sauce Pudding

Got a couple of Lamb knuckles in the shopping last week reduced to clear might i add, I try and get all my meat reduced makes the shopping bit cheaper anyway. So thought I'd cook them in the slow cooker turned out really good, Google helped with looking for a recipe easy-slow-cooker-lamb-shanks Jules Food is the blog that I got the recipe from. I did mine slightly different used hers as more of a guide.

I only had 2 Knuckles
2-3 garlic cloves cut really finely
1 onion finely chopped into slithers
2-3 carrots chopped
4 sprigs rosemary put under the knuckles
I also put about 1/4 cup maybe less of white wine vinegar and just covered with water because i didn't have any stock which Im sure it would have tasted better with

I chopped up the garlic, carrots and onion and put them in the slow cooker. I browned the knuckles before putting in the slow cooker and just covered with water and the little bit of white wine vinegar. put it on low and let it do its thing, had it on bit longer then 8 hours, but its was falling off the bone. It was rather yum.

Oh and I made a gravy with the liquid, took out a cup and added a Tbsp of gravy mix and added some cornflour to help thicken it and threw in some of the onion. Cheats onion gravy

Dessert. I can't remember where I got this from
Chocolate Self Sauce Pudding
CAKE
100g butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsps cocoa powder
11/3 cups flour
4 Tbsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
 SAUCE
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 Tbsps cocoa powder
*3 cups boiling water

Turn oven on 180*C. Melt butter & mix in the sugar and cocoa. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined. Mix in milk and vanilla essence. Put in dish. Put on top brown and white sugars and the cocoa powder. Just before putting in the oven. Pour over the boiling water. Bake 40 mins. Serve immediately.
Note: I found that 2 cups of boiling water didn't make it saucy enough for me but you can add more or less if you wish.
 Now am going to go eat dessert.

Super Giant Bubbles and the Farm

We were at the in-laws farm(more of a vineyard) for the weekend so had no reception at all, so had to wait to get back to do a post, so thought I'd wait till today being Monday, although yesterday took Monster to the park to feed the ducks who were hungry this time . Today Monster and I went to see if there were plum ready to be picked at a local park and also did some Super Giant Bubbles. They didn't really work out, I think cos i accidentally added  baking soda(wasn't much)  realized, it has baking powder instead, I did add that to.

Here is the Recipe:
SUPER GIANT BUBBLES

12 Cups of water
1 Cup Dish Soda
1 Cup Cornstarch(Cornflour)
2 Tbsps Baking Powder

Place all ingredients in a clean bucket or bowl. Stir gently. Do Not create bubbles.
Let sit for 1 hour before use.

Oh and i got the recipe from Pinterest (again lol). Just search super giant bubbles.

PLAYDOUGH & Cookie Cutter

4 tsp cream of tarter
1 cup salt
2 cups flour
2 Tblsps cooking oil
2 cups water
powder paint/ food colouring

Mix all ingredients in a pot. Add food colouring and cook for 3-5 mins, stirring constantly until firm.

Got a cookie cutter shaped person but don't know if i should give it to monster for playdough or use it to make ginger bread people. The Dilemma.

Going to make Super Giant Bubbles this weekend. Another Pinterest thing. Search Super Giant Bubble.

Tangy Carrot Coin Recipe

I haven't done this recipe in awhile but its quiet nice and easy to do.

I got this recipe from The 4 Ingredient Cookbook Author Jean Coates

Ingredients:
2(420g) cans sliced carrots (I use 2-3 fresh carrots depending on size). I have not seen canned carrots here in NZ
30g Margarine( I use butter)
2 Tlbspns brown sugar
1 Tblspns Dijon Mustard( I use a lil extra but do to taste)

 Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan( I cut and cook the carrots first then when they have started boiling drain and add ingredients).
Cook and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Serve hot & enjoy.

Rice and Water

Today was a stinking hot day and still is. So Monster has been playing with the hose and in his pool, enjoyed attacking me as well as the dog with the hose, something I didn't mind at all, but the dog wasn't liking it at all.  I put the sprinkler under the tramp, but lil Monster wasn't too keen on that but he does like to jump

Thought I'd see how see how he went with rice that has been in the cupboard since forever, poured some into a cake tin(need to get a container) and let him go, sat him on his messy mat so i could put it away when he was finished playing with it. He played with it for a whole 20 mins. Have seen ideas on Pinterest (search coloured rice) about colouring the rice so shopping day and going to get what I need and also going to get ingredients so I can make play do.

Till next time.

Will figure out how to put pictures on here.

First Post

This is my First Post. I decided that in 2013 that i would start a blog about all the crafts I'm wanting to make and all the baking and cooking that I'm going to do mostly for the Redheaded monster. 6 days in. Since I made this blog I have made Apricot slice. You can click on the link.
I stewed the apricots and used them in the slice(they were from our tree).
 I am also going to be making a quiet book, just have to decide on the pages.